Exit management for transport and fleet operators

Notice and the duty chart

Two weeks of notice while on probation and a month once confirmed suits most drivers, with longer notice for fleet supervisors and control room leads. Both sit in ZeniaHR's work terms policy, with overrides by grade. Once HR records a resignation, the person's status changes to on notice and the last working day is fixed, which gives the depot a date to plan a replacement from the relief pool. Never let a driver serve his notice on a long-haul trip that ends after his last day.

The vehicle handover

Handover happens at the depot with the workshop supervisor, not in the office, and ideally at the end of the driver's last duty so the vehicle can go straight back on the road. Tick off ZeniaHR's standard 8-item exit checklist first, then attach a signed vehicle handover sheet covering the items below to the driver's documents.

• Vehicle inspection: body, tyres, spare wheel and tool kit
• Fuel level, fuel card and any vehicle keys
• Pending trip sheets and signed delivery receipts
• Vehicle papers kept in the cabin, such as permit and insurance copies
• Company phone or SIM, uniform and ID card

Settling money in the right order

Settle the trip account first: diesel, toll and food advances against bills. Then run the final settlement in payroll through an off-cycle run: salary for days worked, approved overtime, bhatta for the last trips, leave encashment and gratuity where due. A driver who has completed five years of continuous service is owed gratuity: 15 days' wages on his last drawn pay for every completed year. For a driver with 7 completed years whose 15 days' wages on his last drawn Basic and DA come to ₹7,500, that is 7 x ₹7,500 = ₹52,500. Wages are due within two working days of leaving, so do not hold them back while a trip account is argued over.

Drivers who come back

Many drivers leave for a season at home or a better offer and return a year later. Leavers stay in the previous employees list; add a short note on why each one left and whether you would take him back. A returning driver is still a new joiner: recheck his licence and badge, collect fresh documents and verification, and issue a new appointment letter. Past records on file save time, but they do not replace today's checks.

How to set it up in ZeniaHR

1. In the work terms policy, give drivers their notice days for probation and for confirmed service, and add grade overrides for fleet supervisors.
2. Record the resignation to fix the last working day, then plan a relief driver in the roster from that date.
3. Close the offboarding by choosing the structured exit reason, completing the standard checklist and uploading the signed vehicle handover sheet.
4. Run an off-cycle payroll with final bhatta, overtime and leave encashment as inputs, after the trip account is settled.
5. Cross-check the final amount with the gratuity and settlement reports, and release the payment inside two working days of the last day.

Read more about employee records and exits in ZeniaHR.

Roles this applies to

Frequently asked questions